On his way back to the gallery, Paul spotted a flower shop that caught his eye immediately. As if drawn in, he stepped towards it.

Before him were pure white lilies, labelled as having been carefully cultivated in a greenhouse, which seemed to shimmer faintly.

The shop owner, noticing his arrival, approached him with a warm, welcoming smile and began to explain the meanings of the flowers, praising their beauty.

“Is it for someone special?”

At her cautious question, Paul’s eyes wavered for a moment, as if in thought. A faint blush spread across his cheeks, and the shop owner covered her mouth, suppressing a quiet laugh.

“I’ll wrap them nicely for you, so please wait just a moment.”

Paul nodded, his voice softer than before, and turned his gaze away.

Through the wide glass window, he could see the National Art Institute’s gallery building. Snow covering the ivory stone walls was slowly melting away.

‘Has Liz already seen Hyacinth’s paintings?’

As he thought about her waiting for him, Paul looked at the carefully wrapped bouquet.

He still couldn’t express his feelings.

But he hoped that one day he would be able to truly convey them.

His heart racing, he gathered the bouquet of pure white lilies into his arms.

For a moment, it felt as though her scent had filled the space against his chest.

Stepping out of the flower shop, he felt light-footed, carried along by quiet anticipation.

***

“Please let me go.”

Rive stared blankly at the men blocking her path.

When she had first awoken after fainting, she had felt as though she were still drifting inside a dream.

The hotel room was lavish beyond anything she had ever experienced.

There were soft sheets and bedding, an intricately woven carpet adorned with delicate vine patterns and a glass chandelier that captured the fading light of the sunset in a kaleidoscope of colors.

Along with the elegant furniture, everything about the room felt impossibly distant from her world.

None of it felt real.

Unable to make sense of it all, Rive remained seated on the bed for a long time, unable to stand.

And now—

Thinking of Paul waiting for her, she tried to leave the room only to be stopped by the hotel staff.

The husband she had faced again after five years had locked her in and vanished without a word.

“Please… someone is waiting for me. I have to go back—quickly.”

She had already missed the evening train.

The thought of Ainer and Marsili waiting anxiously for her in Southfirth clouded her vision.

Her heart pounded uncontrollably. Biting down hard on her lower lip to stop herself from crying, Rive tried to steady herself.

One of the staff members wore a troubled expression.

“We’re only following orders. Please stop trying to leave and return to your room. Otherwise, we’ll have no choice but to lock the door.”

“…Was that the Duke of Blackwood’s order?”

“……”

“Where is he right now?”

“I’m sorry, but we cannot disclose anything.”

Pushed back into the room, Rive stared at the door as it slammed shut in front of her. Gripping the hem of her skirt tightly, she tried to steady her trembling breath.

The sound of a sharp clink echoed from outside as the door was locked.

Her pale fingers trembled violently.

With quivering hands, she tried to smooth her hair.

It was a dreadful reunion.

‘How could something like this happen?’

Her unsteady steps carried her towards a nearby chair. She collapsed into it, her pale green eyes staring blankly ahead.

She was worried about Paul, who was probably searching for her after her sudden disappearance.

She missed Ainer.

Old Man Marsili.

Mrs Margaret.

The shopkeeper… and everyone in the marketplace.

Huddled up with her knees pulled to her chest, Rive could only stare endlessly at the bedside table clock.

‘Why did he lock me in here?’
‘Why me… of all people?’

‘I signed the divorce papers you wanted so badly and left… so why—’

Her lower lashes reddened, stained with rising anxiety.

***

“Let’s talk.”

The atmosphere inside the auction hall buzzed with excitement after the event had just concluded with great success.

Hyacinth’s finest masterpiece had been sold to Blackwood.

Although the outcome had been obvious from the outset, the process had been far from smooth.

Finally surrendering, Bangton caught Andrew by the arm just as he was leaving the hall.

People cast furtive glances at the two of them.

Some covered their mouths and whispered amongst themselves, while others spread rumors, eager to make sense of the situation.

Andrew stopped without resistance.

“Keep it brief.”

Andrew glanced down at his wristwatch, then lifted his gaze toward Bangton.

Bangton, who had been staring at the unbearably arrogant man in disbelief, finally let out a hollow laugh.

“This doesn’t seem like the kind of conversation to have here.”

“Then have it some other time.”

“Andrew.”

“I’m a bit busy right now.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Bangton frowned at the unexpected reply, narrowing his eyes.

He already knew that Elizabeth had been urging Andrew to marry Heather.

Wanting to speak to Andrew about it, Bangton found his carefree attitude — so different from his sister’s sense of urgency — irritating.

“There’s something I still need to see.”

“What?”

Finally losing his patience, Andrew turned away.

His posture remained straight and his steps were as elegant as ever, but there was a hint of haste in them.

Unable to stop him any longer, Bangton could only stare blankly at his retreating figure, his expression fixed with disbelief.

At that moment, Rachel, who had been watching the two of them, approached him.

“Isn’t it strange?”

“……”

“He even skipped the board meeting this morning. The Duke of Blackwood, of all people.”

“He skipped the board meeting?”

“Seems they kept it quiet, so you didn’t hear—but there was some kind of commotion at the gallery.”

Rachel crossed her arms, lowering her voice as she glanced toward the corridor where Andrew had disappeared.

Bangton turned to look at her, one brow furrowing slightly as if trying to piece it together.

“I heard he showed up at the hotel carrying an unconscious woman. I don’t know the details, though—he’s always careful to keep things hidden, even from me.”

“A woman?”

“Mm, a woman. Doesn’t it seem odd to you? When has Blackwood ever paid the slightest attention to women?”

Rachel lightly nudged him, shaking her head.

“Don’t let your sister hear about it. People are already making quite a fuss.”

“…A woman.”

“What? Do you know something?”

Bangton’s gaze sharpened, as though something had just clicked into place.

The memory of a plainly dressed woman he had briefly encountered in the department store’s tea room came to him unexpectedly.

She had seemed familiar.

At the time, that was all he had thought, yet now the memory rushed back, one after another, as if something had broken loose.

‘The ghost of the Blackwood household… what did she look like again…’

No, that couldn’t be.

Bangton let out a dry laugh and slowly shook his head.

Yet his dark eyes, fixed on the end of the corridor where Andrew had disappeared, wavered slightly, as if he was unable to dismiss the idea completely.

***

The faint, crackling sound of burning logs echoed in her ears.

She couldn’t breathe.

Memories of the past consumed her body, pulling her deeper into the darkness.

To avoid being abandoned by him, she had chosen to leave alone.

In the process, she endured a night she had never wanted and gained Ainer, who was more precious to her than her own life.

This secret would remain hidden as long as she kept silent.

‘He must never find out.’

If the truth were to come to light, Blackwood would certainly take Ainer away from her.

A noise stirred outside the door.

The faint clink of metal and the sharp click of a lock turning.

As her thoughts ended, Rive rose abruptly from her chair.

Her eyes adjusted to the dim glow of the fireplace and fixed on the wooden door, which was intricately carved.

Without a sound, it opened.

A sliver of light slipped through the narrow gap.

She instinctively narrowed her eyes and a dark silhouette appeared before her.

Then, as the door closed behind him, light flooded the room once more.

The chandelier overhead burst into brilliance.

Hearing footsteps approaching across the carpet, Rive shrank back instinctively.

At last, his face came into view within her wary gaze.

“Hello, Madam.”

The moment his softly curved lips parted and that low voice slipped out, Rive was confronted with the madness of a ruthless predator.

“Have you been well?”

His flawless appearance.

That cruel smile.

Everything was exactly the same.

If anything had changed, it was that her reflection now lingered within his cold, piercing eyes.

It was the very thing she had once longed for.

“Well… it seems you’ve been doing quite well.”

“Have you forgotten how to speak?”

He stopped just a step away.

The hand that had seized Rive’s chin lifted her pale face, forcing her to look up. Unsteady breaths escaped from between her parted lips.

When his gaze naturally dropped to her lips, he was irritated by the scab on her lower lip.

It was clear what she was thinking: how to escape.

No wonder he felt the urge to break her ankles.

“I… I…”

The last time he had seen her before leaving for the war in Burddale, her eyes had been hollow and lifeless.

Now, however, those same eyes sparkled again, filled with the vitality she had once lost.

They resembled the eyes she had turned towards him when she had begged for his love.

For reasons he couldn’t understand, this stirred an unpleasant feeling within him.

The woman once known as the ghost of the Blackwood household no longer existed.

“I’m not the person you’re looking for.”

“……”

“It’s true.”

“……”

“There’s someone waiting for me. I have to go. Please… let me go.”

As she clung to him, pleading, the desperation on her face caused something in his gaze to falter, slowly sinking.

“…Who is it?”

“My husband.”

As if firming her resolve, Rive remained trapped in his grasp—yet desperately acted out her lie, trying to break free.

“He must have realized I’m gone. He’ll be searching for me right now.”